INTRODUCTION

This Cookie Policy explains how Grinbliss (“we,” “us,” “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies on www.grinbliss.com (the “Website”). By using the Website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

VALIDATION PHASE NOTICE: Grinbliss is currently operating in a validation phase and is not yet a registered legal entity. This Cookie Policy represents our good-faith commitments during market testing.

WHAT ARE COOKIES

• Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website
• Cookies allow the website to recognize your device and remember information about your visit
• Cookies may be “session cookies” (deleted when you close your browser) or “persistent cookies” (remain until expiration or manual deletion)
• Cookies themselves do not contain personally identifiable information but may be linked to information you provide through the Website

COOKIES WE USE

Grinbliss uses a MINIMALIST approach to cookies while providing essential functionality for registered users. We use only strictly necessary cookies for basic operation, account management, and essential metrics.

ESSENTIAL COOKIES (Required – Cannot Be Disabled)

These cookies are necessary for the Website to function properly. They enable basic features like page navigation, access to secure areas, account login, and essential site functions.

Without these cookies, the Website cannot operate correctly, and registered users cannot access their accounts.

1. SESSION COOKIES
Purpose: Maintain your browsing session and keep you logged in
Duration: Session (deleted when you close browser)
Examples:
• session_id: Identifies your current session
• csrf_token: Security protection against cross-site request forgery

Used for:
• Keeping you logged in while browsing
• Maintaining shopping cart or form data
• Security and fraud prevention

2. AUTHENTICATION COOKIES
Purpose: Verify your identity when you log in
Duration: Persistent (remains until you log out or token expires)
Examples:
• auth_token: Secure authentication token
• user_id: Encrypted identifier for logged-in users
• remember_me: Keeps you logged in across sessions (if selected)

Used for:
• Account login and authentication
• Maintaining secure logged-in state
• “Remember me” functionality

3. SECURITY COOKIES
Purpose: Protect against fraudulent activity and ensure secure connections
Duration: Session or short-term persistent
Examples:
• security_check: Validates secure connection
• device_fingerprint: Helps detect suspicious login attempts

Used for:
• Detecting and preventing fraud
• Protecting user accounts
• Identifying unusual activity patterns

4. FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
Purpose: Remember your choices and preferences
Duration: Persistent (typically 1 year)
Examples:
• language_pref: Your selected language (English/Spanish)
• display_mode: Your display preferences
• timezone: Your timezone setting

Used for:
• Remembering language choice
• Saving display preferences
• Improving user experience

You CANNOT disable essential cookies through our Website settings. However, you can block them through your browser settings (note: this will prevent you from logging in and using account features).

ANALYTICS COOKIES (Basic Metrics Only)

GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE (Basic Metrics)

We use Google Search Console for basic site metrics. This is a webmaster tool, not a comprehensive user tracking system.

What it collects:
• Number of site visits (aggregate)
• Pages visited (aggregate)
• Traffic sources (where visitors come from)
• Search terms that led to the site
• General geographic location (country, city)
• Device type (desktop, mobile)

Purpose:
• Understand which pages are most popular
• Improve SEO and Google visibility
• Identify technical issues
• Optimize site structure

Important Information:
• Data is AGGREGATED and ANONYMOUS
• We do NOT identify individual users
• We do NOT track detailed browsing behavior across sessions
• We do NOT create user profiles
• We only use basic free Search Console metrics

We do NOT use:
• Full Google Analytics with extensive tracking
• Advertising cookies
• Retargeting pixels
• Cross-site tracking
• Social media tracking pixels (during validation phase)

FRAUD PREVENTION TRACKING

IP ADDRESS TRACKING FOR REVIEWS AND RATINGS

When a user submits a review or rating:

What we collect:
• IP address
• Submission timestamp
• Device fingerprint (basic)

Purpose:
• Prevent multiple reviews from same user
• Detect fraud patterns
• Prevent review manipulation
• Maintain rating system integrity
• Prevent spam

Storage:
• IP addresses stored for 12 months
• Then automatically deleted

Important Information:
• IP address is NOT associated with your personal identity in public reviews
• Reviews and ratings are linked to your registered account
• Your name and profile photo appear with reviews (you control this via account settings)
• IP tracking is for fraud prevention only, not marketing

THIRD-PARTY COOKIES

Some third-party services may place cookies when you interact with embedded content:

GOOGLE MAPS
• Used for: Embedded clinic location maps
• Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
• Control: You can disable maps in browser settings

SOCIAL MEDIA EMBEDS (If Used)
• If we embed social media content (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), those platforms may set cookies
• We do NOT control third-party cookies
• Each platform has its own privacy policy

CLINIC WEBSITES
• When you click links to clinic websites, those sites may set their own cookies
• We are NOT responsible for cookies set by external clinic websites

Third-party cookies are governed by the privacy policies of those services, not this Cookie Policy.

HOW WE USE COOKIE INFORMATION

We use cookie information to:

ESSENTIAL OPERATIONS:
• Operate the Website and provide core functionality
• Authenticate registered users (patients and clinics)
• Maintain secure logged-in sessions
• Remember your preferences
• Prevent fraud and abuse

ANALYTICS AND IMPROVEMENT:
• Analyze website traffic in aggregate
• Improve site design and user experience
• Identify and fix technical problems
• Understand which content is most valuable
• Optimize search engine performance

SECURITY:
• Protect user accounts
• Detect suspicious activity
• Prevent unauthorized access
• Monitor for security threats

We do NOT use cookies to:
• Identify individual users for marketing purposes (except registered users viewing own data)
• Sell information to third parties
• Track users across unrelated websites
• Create detailed behavioral profiles for advertising
• Display targeted ads (we don’t run ads during validation phase)

REGISTERED USER ACCOUNTS

WHAT ADDITIONAL COOKIES DO REGISTERED USERS RECEIVE?

When you create an account (patient or clinic), additional cookies are necessary:

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT COOKIES:
• user_preferences: Your account settings
• profile_photo: Link to your uploaded photo
• last_login: Timestamp of your last login
• account_type: Whether you’re a patient or clinic account

REVIEW/RATING COOKIES (Patients):
• draft_review: Saves review draft if you don’t finish
• rating_submitted: Prevents duplicate ratings on same clinic

CLINIC DASHBOARD COOKIES (Clinics):
• dashboard_view: Your preferred dashboard layout
• notification_settings: Your notification preferences
• verification_progress: Tracks verification application progress

All account cookies are encrypted and secured.

MANAGING COOKIES

BROWSER SETTINGS

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View cookies stored on your device
• Delete all cookies or specific cookies
• Block all cookies from all websites
• Block cookies from specific websites
• Block third-party cookies
• Delete cookies automatically when closing browser
• Receive notification before cookies are set

INSTRUCTIONS FOR POPULAR BROWSERS:

Chrome:
Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data

Firefox:
Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data

Safari:
Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data

Edge:
Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions

Mobile Safari (iPhone/iPad):
Settings > Safari > Block All Cookies

Chrome Mobile (Android):
Settings > Site Settings > Cookies

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Blocking essential cookies will prevent you from logging in
• Blocking functional cookies will reset your preferences each visit
• Blocking analytics cookies will not affect site functionality
• You may need to re-login frequently if you block authentication cookies

ACCOUNT SETTINGS

For registered users, you can control some cookie-related preferences:

• “Remember me” on login (controls persistent auth cookie)
• Language preference
• Display preferences
• Notification settings

Access via: Account Settings > Privacy & Cookies

OPT-OUT OPTIONS

ANALYTICS:
• Google Search Console is a webmaster tool providing aggregate metrics
• It does not track individual users
• Blocking it via browser settings will not affect your experience

REVIEWS AND RATINGS:
• IP tracking is essential for fraud prevention
• Cannot be disabled while maintaining review functionality
• If you don’t want IP recorded, don’t submit reviews (browsing doesn’t record IP beyond standard server logs)

THIRD-PARTY COOKIES:
• Block third-party cookies via browser settings
• Opt-out of Google’s data collection: myaccount.google.com
• Social media tracking: Adjust privacy settings on respective platforms

DO NOT TRACK (DNT)

• Some browsers include “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals requesting websites not to track user activity
• Currently, there is no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals
• We do NOT alter our data collection practices when we receive DNT signals
• However, we already minimize tracking to only what’s necessary for Website operation and user accounts

Our current practice already aligns with DNT principles: we don’t track for advertising, we don’t sell data, we don’t create cross-site profiles.

COOKIE DURATION AND TYPES

SESSION COOKIES:
• Deleted automatically when you close your browser
• Used for: Session management, shopping carts, temporary preferences

Duration: Until browser closes

PERSISTENT COOKIES:
• Remain on your device until expiration date or manual deletion
• Used for: “Remember me,” preferences, analytics

Our persistent cookies typically expire within:
• Authentication cookies (remember me): 30 days
• Preference cookies: 1 year
• Functional cookies: 1 year
• Analytics (if persistent): Aggregate only, no individual tracking

CONSENT

BROWSING WITHOUT ACCOUNT:
By using the Website as a visitor, you consent to:
• Essential cookies for basic site operation
• Analytics cookies (Google Search Console – aggregate only)
• Third-party cookies from embedded content (maps, etc.)

If you don’t agree, you can:
• Adjust browser settings to block cookies
• Discontinue use of the Website

CREATING AN ACCOUNT:
By creating a registered account (patient or clinic), you additionally consent to:
• Authentication cookies (required for login)
• Session management cookies
• Preference cookies
• Account-specific functional cookies

These are necessary for account functionality. If you don’t consent, you cannot create an account, but you can still browse clinic listings.

INFORMATION FOR REGISTERED USERS

WHAT DATA DO COOKIES LINK TO?

For registered users, cookies may be linked to:

PATIENT ACCOUNTS:
• Your name and email address
• Your profile photo
• Reviews and ratings you’ve submitted
• Clinics you’ve bookmarked (if feature exists)
• Your account preferences

CLINIC ACCOUNTS:
• Clinic name and contact information
• Verification status and progress
• Profile completeness
• Dashboard usage patterns
• Notification preferences

All linked data is protected under our Privacy Policy and security measures.

YOU CONTROL YOUR DATA:
• Edit or delete your profile information
• Delete your account entirely
• Request data export (portability)
• Clear browser cookies (logs you out)

WHY OUR COOKIE USE IS MINIMAL

During validation phase, we deliberately keep cookie use to MINIMUM ESSENTIAL:

✓ Only strictly necessary cookies for functionality
✓ Authentication cookies for registered users only
✓ Basic aggregate metrics (Search Console free)
✓ No full Google Analytics with extensive tracking
✓ No marketing or advertising cookies
✓ No retargeting or cross-site tracking
✓ No social media tracking pixels
✓ IP tracking only for fraud prevention in reviews

As Grinbliss grows, we may add more robust analytics tools or features. If we do, we will:
• Update this Cookie Policy
• Notify registered users via email
• Provide opt-out options where possible
• Maintain our commitment to minimal tracking

GDPR COMPLIANCE (European Union)

For users in the European Union:

TRANSPARENCY:
• We provide clear information about cookies used
• This policy explains purpose, duration, and type

CONSENT:
• Essential cookies do not require explicit consent (strictly necessary for service)
• We obtain consent for non-essential cookies
• You can withdraw consent by adjusting browser settings

RIGHTS:
• Right to access cookie data
• Right to delete cookies
• Right to object to certain processing

We respect GDPR principles and minimize data collection.

CCPA COMPLIANCE (California)

For California residents:

NON-SALE OF DATA:
• We do NOT sell personal information collected through cookies
• We do NOT share cookie data for advertising purposes

TRANSPARENCY:
• We provide clear information about cookie use
• You can see what data we collect

CONTROL:
• You can opt-out of cookies through browser settings
• You can delete your account and associated cookie data

California residents: See our Privacy Policy for full CCPA rights.

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

• We reserve the right to modify this Cookie Policy at any time
• Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date
• Registered users will receive email notification of material changes
• Continued use of the Website following changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy
• If you disagree with changes, delete your account and stop using the service

During validation phase, we may update this policy more frequently as we add features or refine data handling practices.

CONTACT

Questions or concerns about our use of cookies:

Privacy Inquiries: privacy@grinbliss.com
General Support: support@grinbliss.com
Website: www.grinbliss.com

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

By using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookie Policy and consent to the use of cookies as described.

BY CREATING A REGISTERED ACCOUNT, you additionally acknowledge and consent to the use of authentication and account management cookies necessary for account functionality.